


Death by a Thousand Cuts

by petcheetah



Series: August Prompts 2019 [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Jinchuuriki Nohara Rin, Nohara Rin Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 17:35:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20101036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petcheetah/pseuds/petcheetah
Summary: Word got out of what she was, and their words grew dark and harsh. Kushina, Kakashi and Minato were her rocks, but she lost two of them with the attack, and she didn’t see Kakashi anymore.There was nothing left for her. Everyone in the village made that very clear.





	Death by a Thousand Cuts

It had been a long time since she had paid any attention to the words said about her. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know what they said, but with all that was going on at all times she didn’t have the time to think of it.

It had been years since she had returned to Konoha, but it was different now. They knew now what she had become during the Kanabi Bridge Incident, despite people’s efforts to keep it quiet. The war was still going on when she had returned to Konoha, and it was difficult to get settled in when she still had to go out and fight. Despite the Hokage’s thoughts, he knew he couldn’t just put one of the only healers on their battlefield on the bench, not when there was a war going on. As soon as she returned, her body humming with chakra that was not her own, she was sent out again.

She didn’t even get a chance at seeing Kakashi.

It was difficult to figure out what had saved her at first, but it didn’t take very long. Not when the voice in her head quietly told her that it was  _ him  _ who stopped her from dying. The seal was broken for all of a few minutes, and the Sanbi didn’t even try and escape. It was… strange. But the beast made of chakra helped her reform the seal on her chest, helped her add points that his previous…  _ jinchuuriki  _ had.

She didn’t tell the Hokage when she returned the first time, but he learned the next time, when she was sent to heal someone within town and her chakra pulsed in a way it  _ never  _ should have. And the leader of her village immediately went to her, and she was told that she was going to have to be monitored at all times, for they didn’t know what Kiri did to her seal.

The Sanbi told her not to tell them of his involvement. She didn’t know why. She wouldn’t for years. But she would understand eventually.

There were eyes on her at all times, and maybe that’s what drew the civilians attention towards her. She couldn’t go out into the village without a guard close by. She wasn’t allowed to go see Kakashi, because the  _ Hokage didn’t know what strong emotions would do to the seal _ . She wasn’t able to do a lot of things, but at least she was still allowed to continue to heal. At least he granted her that singular mercy.

They kept her under surveillance for months. Eventually, someone mentioned her and gained the reply of her being kidnapped by Kiri nin. She wouldn’t know until later that it was one of her guards, unmasked, that let the secret go. Someone mentioned her change in chakra. Someone mentioned her being a jinchuuriki. And the looks began.

She didn’t have the protection of being the wife of a famous ninja. As the war died down, the looks increased. The harsh words she heard as she walked down the streets grew louder. She stopped being able to spend her free time healing and went to wandering the streets and that only lead to even angrier comments. One day, they included Obito and the fact that she had been unable to save him, and something inside her snapped. 

Over the months, she began to be looked at, on the basis of what they thought were rumours, like she was evil incarnate. 

When Minato became Hokage, she was told by her senses that he had fought had to be able to see her, but the Third had been persistent. He told her that Kakashi had collapsed in on himself when he heard she was okay, and that he was training as hard as he could to be strong enough to get near her. He told her that Kushina wanted to talk to her first, if she was okay with it.

Kushina was the same as she had always been. The most caring, motherly person Rin had ever known. It was the first time in months that someone had been happier enough to see her that they pulled her into such a heartwarming hug. Kushina stood with her for four years, and didn’t let anyone say anything bad about Rin in her presence.

It was with Kushina that she could quietly admit just how terrified she was. It was Kushina who understood more than anyone else.

Kakashi cried when he finally saw her. He was at Rin’s side whenever he could be, just like Kushina was.

She was there when Kushina announced she was pregnant. She spent more time at their house then she did at her apartment since she was kicked out upon her family hearing the rumours.

She was on a week long mission outside Konoha when Kushina had her baby.

When she returned, the village was in disrepair. Kushina and Minato were dead. The Third Hokage was back in charge, and when Rin asked if she could see her sensei’s child, the man told her he couldn’t allow that. If the Yellow Flash’s student was seen with the child, then enemies would easily figure out their connection.

He didn’t even tell her his name.

Without Kushina, people got worse. With the Kyuubi attack, people’s views on people with tailed beasts were ravenous. She couldn’t go anywhere without people calling her a monster. Kakashi was ANBU now, something she knew without him even telling her, and he was watching over their sensei’s kid more often then he was able to be able to be at her side.

_ They hated her. _

She had been able to ignore it for the most part. She had other things to stop her from focusing on their words. But now, without Minato, without Kushina, without  _ Kakashi,  _ it was worse than ever. And she couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting in a horrible direction.

_ What was the point in remaining in Konoha when there was nothing left for her here? _

It took all of three months to make her decision. The rebuild of Konoha was going strong. She had done what she could to heal the people who had been injured during the attack. She had paid her respects to Minato and Kushina and all those who had lost their lives again and again. There wasn’t a time when she didn’t cry when she stood at that stone.

It took three months for her to pack everything she owned, and to say goodbye to Kakashi who didn’t think anything different.

Three months, and Rin, age 16, Jinchuuriki of the Sanbi Isobu, finally broke from the hundreds of words that were put against her day after day.

Three months from the Kyuubi Attack, and Rin disappeared into the wind, leaving behind nothing but her forehead protector.

**Author's Note:**

> whoops, my finger slipped.


End file.
